Golden Boy
by FinnickandPeetaforlife3
Summary: This is the story of the one and only Finnick Odair. Starting with his games and continuing on. Hope you like it. It is also my very first one story and I'm awful at summaries. I do not own the hunger games series.
1. Chapter 1

When I wake up I glance out my window to find that the sun is just rising. Perfect, I have enough time to take a swim before the reaping. I quietly sneak out of bed and put on a pair of swimming shorts and a shirt. It's still a little chilly early in the morning even though it is almost summer. I try my hardest to creep down the stairs. I've done this many times before so I know which steps creak and which don't.

When I finally make it to the beach I take off my shirt and bolt into the ocean. If I go in slow I might turn back around. The rush of cold water jolts me awake and I feel so alive. Swimming is one of the few moments when I feel free. The wind in your hair the scent of salt water the sound of the seagulls flying overhead. It's my favourite place in the world.

I spend most of my morning just swimming. Whether it be actual swimming to the buoys or just floating back to shore on my back with the current. I can't help but smile even on a solemn day like today. In just a couple hours I will have to gather with all the other people of district four in the town square.

I notice that the sun has fully risen over the horizon so I quickly swim back to shore and head home to get ready. As I walk back into my house my mom is already making breakfast.

"Your clothes are lying out on your bed. Hurry up and get ready we have to be there in half an hour." She says this as demanding as she can, but it isn't much because even though she won't admit it she is worried. I'm all she has. I am an only child, and my dad died in a boating accident when I was only 5. So if anything happened to me I don't think my mother would be able to handle it. She was very upset when my father died but she was strong for me.

When I'm all cleaned and dressed I make my way back to the kitchen and eat a quick breakfast before I leave. Mom made me scrambled eggs and got some of the salty district bread that I like so much. We only get it occasionally. Usually on my birthday and on reaping days, to try and make me feel a little better.

As we make our way to the square we pass the shops that are all closed for the day. They would usually open at this time. Since we live in district four the reaping is early in the morning. The reapings in other districts have half an hour difference in order of the district so that one could essentially watch the entire thing from start to finish although no one could in the districts so it is for the benefit of the capital citizens. district 1 is first at 8:30 in the morning then district 2 at 9 so on until district 12 at 2 in the afternoon. It's almost 10 and just about all the children are gathered in the roped off area. Before I go to check in I give my mom a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek just to show her that I love her and always will no matter what happens.

I walk over to the peacekeepers and check in then walk over to the boys side and stand in the 14 year old section. And I wait. When 10 finally hits the mayor stands up to give the speech about the creation of our great nation of Panem and the dark days and so on. You would think after 65 years of this speech they might change it up make it a little more interesting to listen to. I've heard it for fourteen years now so I have it memorized. Finally he is done and goes to sit down. Next up is our escort. A women from the Capitol that comes to the district to pick the tributes and then escorts them all the way up until the games begin. Each district has their own escort and ours is an over enthusiastic woman named Shanna, she has been out escort for a few years now. She starts by thanking the mayor for his wonderful speech even though it is the same every year. And then continues on to welcome us.

"Welcome! Thank you all for coming" like we have a choice. Which we don't.  
"I'm very happy to be here for our sixty fifth annual hunger games! Alright let's get to it" she chirps in her annoying Capitol accent that seems to be way to high for any normal person to speak. "Ladies first!"  
She scurries over to the glass bowl with what seems like thousands of slips of paper all having one of the names from a girl in the crowd. Some names are in there more then once depending on if you receive the tesserae. If you are poor and need extra grain and oil you can sign up for tesserae. But each time you do your name goes in an extra time. There aren't many people in my district because it is one of the richer ones, but I hear stories of children in the poorer districts like 11 and 12 that have to not only sign up for themselves but also there families. So if they had one sibling and two parents that would be four extra times. Where mine, at 14, is only in 3 times there's would be in 15. It seems unfair but I don't have to worry about it so I try not to.

Shanna has finally grabbed a slip and is now scurrying back to the microphone. She reads out the name in her high pitches voice. "Aerona Geeth" I look over to see a girl emerging from the 16 year old section. She seems a little shocked at first but then immediately pushes it back. She strides up to the stage with a confidence that to me seems a little forced. Since we are for one of the career districts it is expected of us. She carefully walks up the steps and turns to the crowd giving a smile. And shakes hands with the mayor and the Shanna continues on over to the boys bowl. I look at it anxiously. Four of those slips among the hundreds of other slips have my name on them. What are the chances of her pulling mine. She sticks her hand in and twists it around as if she was searching for a specific one. Surely it can't be mine. I'm only in it three times. A measly three times. It can't be me. It seems like forever when she finally decides on one and makes me way back to the mic. The silence before she reads it seems to last a lifetime and my breath is held the entire time. Finally she lets out  
"Finnick Odair"

Oh god. That's me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok so this is my he second chapter of my very first story. I would love to hear what you guys think. **

Chapter 2

At first my body is frozen and I'm not sure why but I can't seem to regain control of my muscles. A guy beside me gives me a small nudge and begin to breathe again and start to make my way towards the stage. A million thoughts are running through my mind but there is one that seems louder then the rest. Be strong. I have to look good for the cameras. People don't sponsor kids that cry, they sponsor the ones that look tough and the ones that they think will win. So if I have a chance of coming out alive I need to look strong. I make my way up the steps and across the stage. Smile for the cameras and let them no you are not to be counted out. Then I shake hands with the mayor and finally shake hands with Aerona. Shanna gives her goodbyes and her sign off "happy hunger games and may the odds be ever in your favour!" Then we are ushered off stage and into the justice building where we are allowed our final goodbyes.

I wait in a fairly large room. Bigger then mine anyways. In the middle sits a small plush chair in a weird dark purpley- red colour and a matching love seat beside it. I decide to sit in the love seat but find myself too anxious to sit still and end up pacing the room until the door finally opens and in runs my mother. Tears streaming down her face. I'm unsure what to say so I just hold her in my arms for what seems like seconds but is actually longer then that though I want it to last forever. I love my mother and I hate the thought of leaving her alone.

Finally she catches her breath and is able to give me some words.

"Finnick I need you to come home. I don't care what you have to do you cannot leave me here alone. I don't know what I would do without you." And just like that she begins to cry again. So I hold her some more.

"I'll do whatever it takes to come back to you mom. Please just wait for me." A few more minutes of embrace and then a peacekeeper comes in and takes her away from me.

After that I get a couple more visits. Mostly from girls confessing their love for me. Apparently I'm a good looking guy so girls do that a lot. Then finally one of my friends comes in and says good bye.

"Hey Finnick."

"Hey Liam"

We don't exchange many words before we give each other a strong manly hug. "Here take this. It can be your token." He hands me a leather bracket that '_The Ocean is Free_' carved into it. I thank him and we embrace again before he is escorted out.

The peacekeepers come and collect me and escort me to a car that will bring us to the train station. There I meet up with our escort and Aerona. We make our way through the crowd of people with cameras yelling questions at us and get on the train and it pulls out of the station. I almost fall over from how fast it goes at first but then regain my balance. This train is taking me to the city that rules this nation.

The Capitol.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

The train will only take a day to get to the Capitol and then we will immediately be put in the hands of our stylists who will make us look presentable to the public and we will parade through the city.

But for now we sit at a table and eat. It's only 11 so it isn't quite time for lunch so we just snack on some of the interesting food items they have. They have a large assortment of fruits some that I've never even heard of before so I decide to try one. Shanna tells me it is called a Papaya. It's not bad. Very juicy and fairly sweet. I take a plate and fill it with some papaya and grab some oranges to go with it and sit at the table. Aerona decides to take what she knows and has a plate with three oranges and some grapes. We eat in silence until our mentors come in. One of them is an older woman by the name of Mags and the other is a middle aged gentlemen who goes by Alfie. They sit across from us and study us for a minute before speaking.  
" alright here's the plan. I am going to work with Aerona and Mags here will look after Finnick." Alfie declares. And just like that our training has begun. We each go to our room compartments while we wait for the recaps of the reapings. It is going on 3 web they finally come on and we gather in another compartment to watch them. This train is huge.

It's starts on district 1 and then makes its way all the way to district 12. I try to pay attention to districts 1 and 2 since it is usually those districts and mine that make up what people call the career pack. It is an alliance formed by the tributes of those three districts usually made up of stronger better fed children since we are the richer districts. Also in these districts some kids are trained for the games and volunteer when they are eighteen. Technically it is against the rules to train for them but the Capitol doesn't seem to mind as they always make for a more interesting games.

The boy from one, Declan, volunteered for the boy reaped and is a little too excited to be going in. The girl, Asher, is seventeen with long flowing golden hair. She is quite pretty but is a little to muscular to be overly attractive.  
District 2 also has a couple of interesting tributes. The boy, Winslow, isn't all that big but he looks smart. And the girl, Atara, is sixteen and is bigger than Winslow. Which is a little scary. I'm still only fourteen so I'm not overly tall but I have gained some muscles from swimming every day. But Atara seems menacing. Her smiles to the cameras seems like she is looking right through them and at me telling me that I am going to die. I keep a mental note to watch my back when it comes to Atara.

After the first two districts none of the other tributes make much of an impression. Although the girl from twelve seems a little cunning but she is so small and underfed it is hard to take her seriously. After the recaps are over and the anthem is finished we return to our rooms to get some rest before tomorrow. Which is the parade to the training Center where we will spend the days up until the start of the games.

I take a quick shower in my room but it is difficult because of all the buttons that I have no idea what they do. Then I put on a pair of shorts and climb in bed. I dream of home and my mother. And even my father is there sometimes I forget what he looked like since I was so young when he died. But in my dream he is alive and smiling. We are all on a boat fishing. My dad is teaching me how to use the trident. He is guiding my hand down and as I catch my first fish he grabs me and puts me up on his shoulder as I hold the fish above my head. My mom is jumping up and down clapping and laughing. It is such a happy moment I feel like crying when I had to wake up. I realize that wasn't just a dream that was a memory. That actually happened not long before the accident that took my fathers life. It brings up emotions that I spent my whole life suppressing. I have to take a good twenty minutes before I feel ready enough to go to breakfast. When I get there Aerona and Alfie are already discussing their plans while my mentor Mags sits at the table silently eating. As I enter the room she looks up and gives me a sad smile as if she knew what I was going through at that very moment with the memories. I walk over to the table and sit down. She gestures for me to eat breakfast before we begin so I do. After I finish eating Mags takes me into yet another compartment on the train and sits down in a plush chair not unlike the one in the Justice Building and I sit in the one across from her. She just stares at me for a few minutes and then begins.  
"Alright. You are a handsome young lad so I'm betting that it won't be much trouble getting you sponsors. What I would like to know is some of your strengths and weaknesses."

"Well I am very good with a trident. I've never missed a target. As for weaknesses I would have to say that I don't know much about survival."  
"Ok. That's good to know. Now I doubt that there will be any tridents in the arena nor will there be any in training so try to use some other weapons. I suggest a spear since it is a close relative of the trident. And also make sure to stop at the survival skills. I would try to learn how to make a fire and learn up on your edible plants. Even though you could be a career you might get separated and have to fend for yourself."

Mags is very wise. Although it is to be expected from someone her age. She must be at least seventy years old. So she must have picked up a lot from all those years of mentoring. We sit and chat for a little while longer before the train goes dark. For a moment I think the power has gone out and I realize that we are just going through a tunnel. The Capitol is surrounded by mountains so we must be here. I quickly run to look out the window and sure enough as we exit the mountain I am over whelmed by the beauty of the city. The buildings and fountains. I've seen it on tv but it doesn't not measure up to the real thing. As the train pulls in it is ambushed by Capitol citizens in their ghastly outfits of all shapes and colours. It almost hurts my eyes.

We leave the train and enter a building where we will be made over and dressed up so we can parade through the Capitol. It is the first time the people will see us in person so we have to make an impression. I am greeted by three people who are obviously Capitol citizens with their accents and outrageous fashion sense. They quickly sit me down and get to work. Chatting away as they do. Most of it I just tone out. They start by scrubbing me from head to toe and I soak I'm this awful smelling lotion. They rinse it off and cover me in a coat of I don't even know what. Then they get to work on my face all the while I am naked. They rub a lotion on my jaw and under my nose that burns.  
"It's to keep the hair from growing." One of them informs me.  
Well even if I wanted to grow a beard I can't now. Just another thing the Capitol is taking away from me. They wash and style my bronze hair and add just the touch of make up to bring out my green eyes on my golden tanned skin. Then they let me know that I am ready for my stylist. They all exit the room and leave sitting there naked waiting for my stylist. After about ten minutes the door slides open and a small lady walks in. She has on a bright pink dress and is wearing so many coats of make up on her face I'm not even sure what her skin colour is. Although judging by her arms it is dyed a lilac colour though her face looks sickly pale.  
"Hello my name is Farah and I will be your stylist. Are you ready to get dressed?"  
I nod my head and she gets started. It takes a good twenty minutes to get completely fitted in my outfit and headgear. Since my district trade is fishing I'm dressed in pants and a jacket that appear as fish scales I have no shirt on but she air brushed my torso in a silvery blue. "The ladies love to see some chest" she tells me. And I have on the ugliest headdress that is a fish head. So I look like a fish.  
This is one of the worst costumes I've ever seen.

I walk into the area where the tributes wait to parade into the city circle. I find my district chariot and stand by the horse. I see Aerona walking up. She is wearing a dress made completely of sea shells and has an oversized one on her head. It's not as bad as mine. They light blue shells go well with her dark hair which is curled in loose ringlets. She stands next to me and we just wait in silence until we at instructed to get in our chariots. I help her up and then we are off. The doors open and district 1 rides off into the city circle. Finally ours lurches forward and I almost loose my balance but am able to regain it. I am overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the people screaming chanting different names. I hear mine a few times. As we ride I work up the confidence to give the crowd a winning smile and wave triumphantly. They eat it up. They love me. Maybe it won't be that hard to get sponsors in this getup after all.

We come to a stop in front of the training Center and wait for the last chariots to get here then the president gets up to speak.  
"Welcome! Welcome tributes! Welcome citizens! We are very existed to begin our 65th hunger games! May the odds be ever in your favour!" The Capitol motto.  
Then we ride off into the training centre where I will train how to kill.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this chapter is a little short. But I wanted the training to have its own chapter. Just bear with me. And please tell me what you think. _**

Ch. 4

As we pull into the training Center we are greeted by our mentors and out stylists. Farrah, my stylists, comes over and gives me a big hug and goes on about how well I did. Aerona's stylist Jimie also comes over and tells her how good she looked. Mags and Alfie seem to approve our performance as well. After all the congratulations are through we head for the elevator that will bring us to our floor. Every district has there own floor that coincides with there district number. Ours being four. As we enter the room I'm overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. It is bigger then my entire house. Right on the other side of the room is the dining table where we will eat all of our meals except lunch, which will be in the Training area, and make our game plans. We will have 3 days of training followed by our private sessions, where we will show the game makers what we can do and they will grade us, and then we have our interviews. It's all such a short amount of time before the bloodshed begins. We are allowed some time before dinner to wash up so I find my room and strip off the scaly outfit and awful headdress and jump in the shower to wash the air paint off my torso. I get out of the shower and find a closet across from my bed that has a panel that allows me to pick what I want to wear electronically. I settle on some simple comfortable pants and a sea blue shirt and make my way back to the dining room. We sit and eat making conversation about the parade and which tributes to look out for.  
"I would defiantly keep an eye on the district 2 girl. She looks very strong and is ready to kill." Alfie informs us. "But don't count out the male tribute either, though he is smaller I could see that he was already making a plan in his head when he was reaped."

"The girl from 12 worries me" I say and end up getting a look of disapproval from Alfie and Aerona.

"She's from 12. She's nothing to me." Aerona boasts. And with that we finish eating and head into another room to watch the recaps of the parade and listen to the commentary to see what each of them think about us.  
"I would say the girl from 2 is a definite contender in these games. If I was the other tributes I would be worried."  
"Yes but the crowd is loving district 4's very own Finnick Odair. I doubt he will have any troubles getting sponsors."  
They go back and forth like this commenting on each of the tributes but always coming back to the two of us. I zone out for most of it and after half an our it is finally over and I am allowed to go to bed. Tomorrow training begins at 10 so we will have to get up early to eat and go over our training plan. But for now I'm exhausted.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

The mist from the sea water feels so refreshing on my face. Looking out over the ocean I can see only as far as the horizon and if seems like the water stretches on forever. The seagulls squawk over head as they fly towards the horizon. I wish I could fly with them. I would fly until my wings could fly no more. I can just imagine the wind rushing through my hair. I close my eyes and I can see it. Dunking into the clouds. I've never felt this free and alive. Even swimming in the ocean seems restricting compared to this. When I open my eyes again I'm back in my bed of the training Center and Farrah is banging on the door telling me to get up and get dressed. So I do. And then Shanna comes and collects me for breakfast. We have only twenty minutes to eat and decide what we are going to do before we go down to start training.  
"So when you get there I suggest spending most of your time trying new weapons. Specifically spears or throwing knives since you already know how to throw a trident it shouldn't be to difficult to accustom to them." Mags advises. I nod in agreement. "But also make sure to check out the survival skills as well. Learn to make a fire and make sure you check the plants so you can tell them from edible and poisonous. It will also give you a little insight as to what may be in the arena." I make sure to keep all this in mind as Shanna gathers me and Aerona and escorts us to the elevator.  
The elevator is quite the little room. It's made of some sort of crystal so if you look down you can see the ground approaching, and it moves at such a high speed it's a little hard to not get sick. Shanna presses a button that brings us down past all the floors and even past the lobby where we came in. The training area is underground. We are five minutes early but find that we are not the first ones there. Standing around the middle of the area are the tributes from 1,2,7, and 12. We go and stand next to the other careers leaving 7 and 12 to stand alone. When the last pair of tributes get here our main instructor stands in front of us to tell us the rules.  
"There are many different stations around this area makes sure not to skip out on the survival skills as some of you will most likely die from exposure or poisonous plants. Also no fighting other tributes, if you wish to practice with a partner we have instructors who are here to assist you. Alright lets begin."

Immediately I make my way over to the spear throwing station. I pick one up and get a good feel of it in my hand. It's a little lighter than a trident but other then that and the fact that it only has one spike it isn't much different. I take a shot. Missed.  
It takes a few shots before I manage to hit it. But when I do I strike the dummy right where the heart would be and I hit it with enough force to have to poke through the other side an inch. I look over to see the girl from 2 nodding in approval. Like I've just proven myself and only now I can join her alliance. I give an award winning smile and she glares for a second and turns away. I take a few more throws and hit the mark every time. My arm is getting tired so I decide to learn how to make a fire. This proves to be difficult. Even with the matches I find it hard to get a good fire started but by the end I get a good one. I sit back on my heals feeling proud when I notice that I'm not alone at this station. The district 12 girl is beside me. I never got a good look at her during the recaps and now her sitting her in normal clothes I can see. She is smaller then I thought she was. Couldn't be taller then five feet and can't weigh more then 90 pounds. Her cheeks are hollow and I can see her ribs protruding even though her shirt is loose in order to try and hide her stature. I feel pity towards this girl. What it must be like living in conditions where you end up looking like you might blow away in the slightest breeze. Her hair is dark brown and her eyes are an eery grey. Even though her body doesn't have much life in it her eyes are something completely different. If she wasn't so underfed she would be a very pretty girl. She catches me staring at her and I quickly look away but I see her blush a little out of the corner of my eye.  
During lunch all the tributes eat in a room just outside the area. The careers all sit together making small talk or bragging about how much they can lift or how far they can throw. I sit there silently eating my food but can't help but glance over at that girl sitting all alone eating as much as she can. She must know that in order to even stand a chance she will have to put on some weight.  
After lunch I decide to take it easy and head over to the knot tying station. This is nothing for me and I quickly demonstrate all the knots that the trainer shows me. She seems very pleased and shows me a very intricate knot but even that takes me only minutes to master so she leaves me to do as I wish. I end up just tying and untying knots until training is over for the day. It is just so relaxing for me. We head back to our floor and fill in our mentors on what we did. Then eat and head to bed.  
The next two days play out pretty much the same except I try my hand at throwing knives, which takes me longer then the spear to master, and head towards the edible plants and learn the difference between those that will nurture me and those that will kill me. Lunch is spent the same way with the careers at one table and the rest of the tributes scattered around the room by themselves. After lunch I spend the rest of my time tying knots and untying knots. It's a good way for me to wind down after all the training. Back up to the floor eat and sleep. Tomorrow is our private sessions with the game makers. I'm still not sure exactly what to do. I suppose I will throw some knives and spears. Before I get to in my head and over think it I should go to sleep. Maybe the answer will come to me in a dream.

**that was close. I was getting ahead ofused and accidentally ended this chapter with the night before the interviews. Completely skipping the private sessions. I know I would have made some people very unhappy. As a huge fan of THG myself I swoops have been so mad. But here is the new revised version. Thank you. Please review! Let me know how I'm Doing. **


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

I don't dream that night but that's ok. I can see the sun just starting to peek over the buildings of the Capitol. It reminds me of home and my morning swims. I wonder what my mother is doing. Surly she is getting by. I love my mother and miss her so much. She was the one that taught me to swim.  
When I was four years old, while my father was out fishing on the boat, my mother would take me to the ocean and teach me to swim in the shallows. Her hand would be on my chest supporting me as she guided me through the water. For the first while I would just splash around but eventually I got the hang of it and my mother wouldn't have to support me. Before I knew it I was swimming against the current and out to the buoys. It was the best moment of my life. It was the first time I ever felt the rush and the freedom that came with swimming in the ocean. And I wanted to feel like that every day so when I got old enough I would go by myself every morning.

Breakfast is uneventful, we have already discussed what we are doing so no one feels the need to talk. When we are finished we make our way back down to the training area and sit in a room to wait our private sessions. It begins with the male from district 1 then the girl then district 2 and so on so I won't have to wait very long. The careers make a little conversation between themselves but as they start leaving the room gets more an more quiet until the only sound you can hear is the breathing of the tributes.

Finally it's my turn. As I walk in I take one final look behind me and find that the district 12 girls is glancing at me as well. We meet eyes and she mouths the words "good luck" I don't under stand. Why is she wishing me luck? In just a couple days we will be in the arena to fight to the death. Has he already counted herself out and is giving me permission to win? I'm flustered as I walk into the training area I almost miss the game makers telling me to proceed.

"Finnick Odair district 4" I get out.  
One of them, who I believe to be the head game maker, nods and I walk confidently over to the spear throwing station and chuck a few spears at the dummies hitting the heart every time then I reach for the knives and throw those only being able to hit the torso in different areas. Not my strongest weapon. Finally I head over to the knot tying station and quickly fashion a net together and set up a snare that incases the victim and hangs them five feet off the ground allowing me to throw a spear straight through them. After I'm done I thank them and they dismiss me. I think I did pretty well.

I return to the fourth floor and decide to wait in my room for dinner when we will discuss our private sessions and then receive our training scores. I'm not sure how Aerona is doing in the private sessions. Most likely a little better then me seeing as I went in a little flustered. I'm still not sure why the girl said that to me. Perhaps she is trying to get me in her good graces so I'm easier to kill or maybe she is just kind by nature, if that is the case this is no place for her and I don't expect her to last very long once the games begin. No one wins the games with kindness and compassion that's for sure.

I head back to the dining room when Shanna comes to get me. We are joined by not only our mentors but our stylists as well. We start with simple compliment on ones apparel and then quickly go right into the matter.

"So how do you think you did?" Alfie asks me and Aerona.  
"Alright. I threw around some spears and knives and made a net."

"Ok. Not extraordinary but it's ok. Might get you a seven." Well a seven isn't going to do me much good.

"They seemed to like me. I showed them that I could throw an ax and that I'm a good hand to hand fighter if I get a knife I would do well in close combat." Aerona brags.

"Very well done!" Alfie exclaims. I have a feeling he favours her. Which would make sense seeing as she is more his tribute then I am. Mags picked me and she has given me some great advice. We eat the rest of our meal in silence only to be broken a few times by Shanna or one of the stylists trying to strike up a conversation, which usually ends quickly. Finally we are asked to sit in the viewing room to find out our scores.

It's starts with district 1 showing the boy first and then the girl. Declan receives an 8, Asher a 7. Winslow gets a 7 and Atara gets a 9. Those are all pretty high. I'm worried to see if I'll make the cut to be a career. Finally my face comes up and then my score flashes below it. 9! That's wonderful! I'll not only make it in with the careers but I could lead them. Then Aerona comes up and receives an 8. Not bad but not as good as mine. She seems upset that I scored higher then she did since she had so much confidence, but her stylist and Alfie try to convince her that is a good score. We are getting ready to go to bed because no one worries about the other scores seeing as no one made an impression. Except district 12 made an impression on me so I stick around to see what she got. Her face comes on screen and below it flashes a bold 7. That's impressive. I wonder what it is that she showed them which compelled them to give her a 7. Now I'm even more worried. She could be a secret killer and was just trying to throw me off my game. I'll have to keep a close eye on this girl.

Tomorrow we will start preparing for the interview which is the next day. We each get four hours with our mentor to discuss the content of our interviews and then four hours with Shanna to go over presentation. For now I'm going to get some much needed rest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Please please review and let me know what you think. I would like to give a shout out to Arowana Flounder for giving me my very first review ever! It means a lot. Thank you for reading this. Hope you enjoy it. **

Ch. 7

Shanna works with me first. We go over how I should walk when I am called and how I should sit when I get up there. Then she starts explaining how I should laugh when Caesar, the host of the interviews, tells a joke and how I should laugh if I were to tell a joke.

After about two hours of this she puts me in a tuxedo and fancy, extremely uncomfortable, shoes and we go over how my walk for the last tow hours. Finally when we are finished she gives a big sigh of relief.

"Ok you did ok but seeing as you are from the district I shouldn't expect you to pick it up right away but I'm sure you'll be fine." She points out. That seemed a little uncalled for. As if the Capitol is better then the rest of us even though they are the ones sending us to fight to the death. If anything they are below the rest of humanity. But since I don't want to get myself or my family in trouble by saying that out loud I just smile and thank her for helping me so much.

When I get to Mags' room I find that she is taking a nap. I'm not sure how to respond to this. Perhaps she is just old and needs to sleep and forgot to set an alarm. Or maybe she thinks that I don't need any help because I am already handsome and charming and so many of the Capitol citizens already love me. Then there is one more possible reason. She could think that there is nothing she can do to help me because I am doomed to die in the reached games. Yet she looks so peaceful lying there, and it seems to make her look younger. I'm not sure why.

I can't bring myself to wake her so I just sit in one of the chairs and wait for her to wake.

Two hours go by before she finally begins to move. By then I've come up with a few ideas about how I want to go about doing the interviews.

"Stop thinking about it" she says sleepily. "You will do fine. Here's what you have to do. Just be yourself. The people already like you and you are a handsome and charming young man. Be that. Charming. It works on everyone."

I ponder this for a moment. Be myself? That should be easy enough. I've been me my whole life. And it's true. I shouldn't try to be someone else because if I win (which I really hope I do) I want everyone to know who I am so I don't disappoint.

"Mags you are a genius."

"Well I did win these games once."

And with that I feel the most confident that I have felt since I was reaped. With someone like Mags on my side maybe I can do this.

I go to bed that night with just a little more hope then when I woke up.

I'm back in the sky again. Soaring through the clouds with the seagulls at my sides. It's that feeling of freedom that I love the most. I could go anywhere I wanted. I could run out of the training Center and fly away to the ends of the earth and never have to think about the games again. But what about my mom? What would happen to her if I left. And with that single thought I begin to sink. I sink until I start to fall, as if I was held up by ropes that were lowering me down and then suddenly snapped. The sudden sensation of falling jerks my whole body awake and I find myself wide eyed staring at the dark ceiling trying to catch my breath. It's like my heart skipped a beat and is now trying to make up for it.

My shirt is soaked with my sweat. What I thought to be a wonderful dream turned into a nightmare. If I ever tried to leave they would hurt the ones I love. I can't have that. At this moment I am determined to win, at any cost.

I don't sleep much after that. I just lay in bed until I can't stand it any more and start pacing my room. Until finally the sun starts to come up. I wait until Shanna comes to get me for breakfast to leave the room.

We all sit and eat in silence and then immediately after are ushered off with our stylists to start getting ready.

Once again I am scrubbed down and lathered in ridiculous smelling lotions and oils until I am left with what feels like only one layer of skin left. The prep team is so excited about the interviews and exchange comments about the other tributes but always end with a compliment to me.

"That Winslow looks like a very cunning young man."

"Yes but Finnick is so unbelievably smart and handsome no one will be able to out do him."

This goes on for the entire prepping time. They put on minimal makeup, just enough to highlight my eyes so the stage lights don't blur them out on camera. They keep telling me that most tributes they get have to wear more makeup to cover up imperfections.

"But not you Finnick. You are just perfect the way you are."

I'm flattered. They style me hair so that it gathers in the front but then poofs a little and proceeds to the back of my head. I am finally deemed fit to go see Farah with my clothes. I sit on the prep station and wait for her. When she comes in she is still dressed in those ridiculous Capitol fashions. A bright pink, long haired wig sits on her head. And she is wearing a deep red dress that is tight around her torso and half way down her legs until it comes out in this giant poof around her feet. I will never understand the style of this place. She carries with her a black bag which contains my interview outfit.

I put on the sea green button up shirt and then a black jacket on over top. The look is completed with black dress pants and a pair of fancy dress shoes, which are infinitely more comfortable then the ones Shanna had me wear. It's like she was preparing me for the worst possible scenario.

I stand in front of the mirror to take myself in. I see what she was trying to accomplish and she did it. The colour of the shirt does an amazing job of bringing out my eyes. I've been told it is one of my greatest features. This outfit is a big improvement from the parade get up she had me in.

"You look very handsome Finnick." Farrah compliments.

"Thanks to you." I say with a smile. I might be able to get even more Sponsors then I already have looking like this. I'm ready for these interviews and I am ready for these games.

The anthem begins and the tributes all proceed on to the stage in district order starting with the girl from 1 all the way until the boy from 12. We sit in that order and are interviewed in that order. Once the anthem is over the host Ceasar Flickerman comes out and welcomes the audience to the 65th annual hunger games.

Ceasar has been the host ever since I can remember. It seems like he never changes, he wears a dark blue suit that has many tiny little lights to resemble the stars in the night sky, yet he always has his hair a different colour. Last year his hair was a dark moss green. This year it is a salon pink and he has the eye shadow and lipstick to match. He is quite a weird looking fellow.

Asher, the girl from 1, is up first. We each get 3 minutes to talk to Ceasar to try to let him and the audience get to know us in hopes of getting sponsors. Ceasar askes Asher to tell them a little secret about herself.

"Well back home I have three boyfriends." She tells them with a grin on her face. I'm a little disgusted but the audience seems to love it.

"Three? Do they know about each other?"

"Yes they know. It would be awful for me to keep it a secret from them. They all try to win my affections. It's quite confidence boosting." More like egotistical if you asked me.

They go on about these three boys until her time is up and Ceasar thanks her for coming and she returns to her seat. Next up is Declan.

They go back and forth about what he is going to do when he wins and how he is going to win. He may be big and strong but not all that smart when he decides to tell us his entire game plan to get out the weaker ones while gaining the stronger tributes trust and then stabbing them in the back. He is very confident which could very well be his downfall.

Atara is up. She stomps her way upstage and plumps down into the seat. Her stylist was obviously trying to make her look a little more feminine then she is because they put her in a long flowing silver gown and curled her hair in loose curls and pinned half of them back. If she wasn't so scary she might be a little pretty but I'm not sure.

"So Atara tells us. What are you planning?"

"Well it's simple. I'm planning on winning this thing. Everyone will tell you the same thing only difference is I have the strength and stamina to back it up." She is either very well rehearsed or she is confident in herself and her strength. I'm thinking the latter. She continues on to tell the audience all her strengths. Though it may seem like a dumb move to tell the other tributes your strength it may very well get you more sponsors and it isn't like she is telling us her weaknesses. And she is so good with her words it's hard not to believe she is going to bring it home.

Winslow is cunning and quick thinking. He doesn't take any time to form his answers almost as if he knew what Ceasar was going to ask and had already preconceived all the answers.

When it gets to Aerona I'm a little bored. The district 3 tributes were so nervous it was hard to get interested. Aerona seems a bit uneasy but it doesn't stay long. Ceasar is able to make her feel at ease and they toss jokes back and forth for a bit. I never saw this side of her before now. She seems so comfortable and almost happy. It seems like she forgot where she was and was just exchanging jokes with an old friend. She is so warm and inviting it makes me nervous. Seems like she put on an act with the nervousness and then came out swinging. I zone out for the rest of her interview and almost miss the buzzer that tells me it's my turn.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

"Welcome Finnick. How are you enjoying your stay here?"

"Oh it's wonderful. The people are so nice and inviting and the food is incredible. I don't know how I lived in district 4 with the food we have."  
Laughter. That's a good sign.

"So Finnick you are a very good looking young man, don't you agree ladies?" The audience explodes with screams and cheers and I think I hear a couple saw they love me. "Yes, well tell us you got a girlfriend back home? Everyone wants to know!"

I give a slight chuckle and answer no.

"Well ladies isn't that a relief? Young Finnick here is single." Ceasar exclaims to the crowd. More cries and screams from all the females in the audience.

We go back as forth exchanging jokes and complimenting each other. Until the time runs out and I exit the seat with the screaming girls behind me.

I've always been told, growing up, that I was handsome but I never wanted to get cocky. Almost every girl in district 4 asked me out on a date, some younger and some older. I've said yes to all of them but not one of them stuck in my mind that made me want to have a relationship with them, so I have to let them off easy. It's really become an every week thing. I'm hoping eventually ill find a girl that likes me for who I am and not just how I look. They say there is someone out there for all of us. I'm just waiting to find her.

I finally zone back into the interviews just in time to catch the last half of the girl from district 12. She is beautiful sitting there in a, light pink, knee length, dress that softly flows around her legs. Her hair is in loose curls with half of it pinned back and she has just the right amount of makeup on that puts some color into her cheeks and brings out her grey eyes and almost makes them look like a soft blue. Her face also appears more filled out and she looks healthier then she did on the first day of training when I first saw her. I was right. She is beautiful.

I miss what Ceasar said but it must be amusing because she has a slight smile. Seeing her like this is bringing my heart into my throat and I can feel it beating throughout my body. I've never felt like this before. I can't seem to take my eyes off her.

Then a thought hits me so hard in the chest I feel as though I can't breathe. I'm attracted to a girl who, in just a couple days, I might have to kill and worse then that I didn't want to know her name because I didn't want to get attached to anyone, but now it's killing me to not know it.

Before I know it the buzzer sounds and the crowd hollers as we all exit the stage.

I meet up with Aerona and we head towards the elevators. We ride up in silence and when we get to our floor we are greeted with congratulations and hugs.

"You two were great. Just wonderful." Exclaims Alfie.

Mags just gives me a huge smile and I know I've done well.

Before we eat we have time to go wash up so me and Aerona head to our rooms.

I walk in and sit on my bed for a while before taking a shower. Just thinking about her. The way she smiled so small but at the same time so genuine. How her hair perfectly framed her face. And her eyes. Those eyes will haunt me for the rest of my life. The way they had the slightest sparkle, you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking. And that eery grey that I saw the first day had somehow transformed into a blue so soft it could almost be the sky. She is now forever engraved in my mind. The only problem is I don't know her name. Oh and we are both going into a fight to the death, one winner, game for survival.

After dinner we watch the recap of the interviews but I don't pay attention. After the anthem we get up to go to bed. Before we do we say goodbye to Alfie, Mags, and Shanna, who will not be seeing us again until after we win. Since only one of us can win they will only see one of us, if we are lucky, but it is possible that they won't see either of us ever again.

"You two were great tributes and I am proud to have been your escort." Shanna gets out before breaking down into tears and giving us both a big hug that lasts much longer then any normal hug should.

"Don't do anything stupid. Stupidity gets you killed." Advice from Alfie. I wouldn't expect anything less.

"Stay strong." Is all Mags says whiling giving us a sad smile. But the look in her eyes tell me all I need.

I return to my room to try and get some sleep before the games start tomorrow. As I thought it is nearly impossible to sleep. The anticipation is driving me nuts. Every time I close my eyes I picture a different arena in hopes that I might picture the right one and be more prepared for tomorrow. Eventually I just give up and lie there staring at the ceiling until I eventually drift off.

_Darkness_. That's all I see. I turn my head left and right but there is nothing. I look up and there again is nothing. Until I see it. The slightest sliver of light. It is so small it would be easy to miss yet difficult. My mind is scrambling trying to figure out where I am. I thrust my arms out to my sides and wince in pain when they collide with a wall not 6 inches from me. I run them forward until I hit them together then putting them back out at my sides turn in a circle. I'm in a tube. Judging by the fact that now the sliver of light is a little bigger I would say I'm moving up. Which could only be one place. The tube that launches us into the arena.

This is strange. I don't remember waking up this morning or coming here. How did I get here? Do they knock out the contestants before and put them in the tubes so they don't know where they are? This is way too much for my brain to handle so I close my eyes and breathe slowly. I try to think about home and the sea and how free it makes me feel. Then I picture my mother. With her dark brown hair and soft cheeks. Her slight smile and grey eyes. Wait. My mother doesn't have grey eyes. This isn't my mother. Who is this girl standing in front of me? Why is her name? I wrack my brain for what seems like hours but no name is forthright. Then it hits me, like a wave hitting the rocks at the bottom of the cliff, I don't know her name. She is the district 12 tribute. Why am I dreaming of her? That's it! This is a dream!

I open my eyes to my training room ceiling. Not a minute after that I hear Farah knocking on the door telling me it's time to get up.


End file.
